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Friday, 22 June 2007

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Louis Walsh has the X Factor

He’s back as judge after Simon Cowell offers him £1m

Louis Walsh will return as an X Factor judge with Simon Cowell – for a cool £1m.

The former Boyzone manager, 54, was sensationally axed from the ITV1 show in March.

But now Simon, 47, has made a spectacular U-turn and asked the Irishman to rejoin the panel.

He will replace Brian Friedman, who was brought in to take his place. Brian, 30, will now act as the show’s creative guru.

Louis was publicly reunited with Simon on the pop mogul's This Is Your Life special.

‘Simon was touched that Louis appeared and thought he might have been hasty in dumping him,’ says a source.

And Louis is delighted.

‘I got called and didn't know if it was a wind-up at first. But I'm absolutely delighted to be back,’ he tells the Daily Mirror.

And even Mr Nasty is chuffed at Louis’s return. ‘If I'm honest I have missed Louis a bit and I think the show has missed him too,’ he says.

Louis will join Simon, Sharon Osbourne, 54, and new judge Danni Minogue, 35, at auditions in Manchester on Monday.

Poor Kate Thornton, 34, must be fuming that she’s not been asked back.